Do you know what you value?
Not what you think you should value. Not what you want to value someday.
What you value right now.
Yesterday I found the Live Your Values deck (thanks Jessica Fearnley!) unopened in a cabinet. Since I had some time and have been doing some introspection, I decided the time was right.
The exercise: narrow 78 values → top 10, ranked. Focus on what you value NOW, not what you think you should value.
Do you know what you value?
Not what you think you should value. Not what you want to value someday.
What you value right now.
Yesterday I found the Live Your Values deck (thanks Jessica Fearnley!) unopened in a cabinet. Since I had some time and have been doing some introspection, I decided the time was right.
The exercise: narrow 78 values → top 10, ranked. Focus on what you value NOW, not what you think you should value.
It was harder than I expected.
- I included values I felt shame about (Ambition). (Much to unpack there.)
- I left out values I thought I should include (Humility, Inclusion).
- I’m resetting my relationship with others (Responsibility).
The result? My final 10 feel true to me right now.
Why Values Work Matters
For individual leaders, we narrow to their top 2 values. It’s always challenging, and always revealing.
One client discovered their highest value—Creativity—explained their discontent in a role with zero creative problem-solving. That clarity changed everything.
For teams, sharing individual values build understanding and trust. If I know you value Honesty, I’ll expect directness rather than feel attacked.
And collective patterns reveal culture. A team of Risk-Takers will make bold moves—and may overlook consequences.
For executives, team values ARE organizational culture.
What you can do now
- Find a values exercise and complete it yourself.
- Share results with someone who’ll help you explore what it means.
- Invite your team to do the same.
- Facilitate a group discussion to explore individual values and what it means for the collective.
The bottom line
You would think it’s easy to articulate your values. It’s more challenging than we think.
But when we sit with that challenge and explore, we gain clarity on who we are and how we want to show up—for ourselves and the people we lead.
What values are driving you right now? And how are they impacting your team?
Looking to increase the cohesion, trust, and impact of your leadership team? Reach out and let’s discuss The Compass Team Experience and how I can help.
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